Chapter 167: The Chip

Raylee lifted her gaze, fearlessly locking eyes with Victor.

“Layla had told me before that if Jeremiah were to die, I would share his fate. I’m well aware that my time is limited, so there’s no need for you to remind me. Besides, your words don’t scare me at all. Remember, I was imprisoned for four years because of Ms. Tiffany. I’ve already seen firsthand how the Lorimer family can hold a grudge.”

“Don’t scare you?” Victor, in a fit of rage, hurled an ashtray. It struck Baylee squarely on the forehead, causing blood to flow freely.

Wiping the blood trickling down to the corner of her eye with her sleeve, Raylee maintained her composed tone.

“I came back here not to be a vessel for you to vent frustrations. Your son was with me until his last moments. Don’t you want to know what he said and did?”

The words triggered a hint of sadness to flash across Victor’s face. His voice laced with anticipation as he inquired, “What did he say? Did he mention me?”

“Jeremiah said that you never treated him like a son, that you despised him,” she revealed. “He also wished for my survival, and hoped you wouldn’t make things difficult for me.”

“Bullshit! You’re lying!” Victor denied before reprimanding her. “You really think I’d let you off just because you’re here spinning a cock-and-bull story? Dream on!”

Kaylee responded calmly. “But that’s the truth. If you had considered him as your son, why didn’t you protect him? You were only willing to pay twenty million for his freedom? His captors even commented that the sum was nothing but an insult.”

“That’s because…” Victor began, but then hesitated, his eyes filled with complex emotion. “You’re veering off topic. Whether I protect him or not, and whether I regard him as my son or not, are two separate matters.”

“I know. It’s because of this, isn’t it?” No longer keeping Victor in suspense, Raylee took out the chip.

The moment Victor laid eyes on the chip, his eyes widened. A look of disbelief descended upon his face. “Is this…” he stammered.

“Right, it’s exactly what you wanted. Jeremiah had asked me to retrieve it for you before his death,” Raylee daringly suggested. “This thing is really important to you, isn’t it? So important that you were willing to abandon Jeremiah.”

When Victor heard those words, his face turned gloomy. He took the chip, as if he had just been assigned an important mission, and his emotions eddied to rage for a long time.

Following that, he fell silent, sitting at his wide desk with the chip in his hand. He seemed deep in thought, almost as if he was daydreaming, all the while a cigarette never leaving his lips. The entire room was soon filled with the suffocating smell of smoke.

Raylee, enduring the polluted air, quietly stood her ground as she watched Victor. He chain-smoked one cigarette after another. She couldn’t even keep track of how many cigarettes he’d actually gone through.

The last time she saw Victor was in the ward. In order to avenge her, Jeremiah had shot Samuel. Back then, Victor was still a spirited and fiery elderly man. His entire demeanor radiated an awe-inspiring righteousness, his presence dignified and commanding. In contrast to then, he seemed to have aged by more than a decade now. The wrinkles on his face were so deep that they started to fold, and his entire being seemed shrouded in a suffocating blanket.

With a deep sigh, Raylee decided to give Victor some privacy. Turning around, she started walking out of the study.

Suddenly, Victor spoke. “Raylee, thank you for delivering what I need. I’ve let down Jerry, along with his sister. You’re right, I never treated him like a son because I’ve never been good to them.”

The tone was filled with sorrow and self-reproach, so much so that anyone who heard it would be moved.

Raylee stopped in her tracks, turning to look at Victor. “It wasn’t me who said it. Those were Jeremiah’s last words.”

“He’s right…” Victor sighed heavily. Even through the air, one could sense how he was torn between love and hate.

Raylee was genuinely curious. What in the world happened between father and son? However, she knew that whatever it was, it no longer mattered. Jeremiah had died, and with his death, their marriage was nullified, and her connection with the Lorimer family had consequently come to an end.

“No matter what, you let Jeremiah down when you didn’t rescue him, but what’s done is done. He’s no longer with us, so please, Mr. Victor, please accept my condolences.”

“Raylee, I know I put you in a difficult position by sending you to Musmeynia. Considering you managed to bring back the chip, I’m willing to grant you one request.”

The look in Victor’s eyes, as he gazed at her, was no longer as fierce and intimidating as before.

“I want to save my own life,” Kaylee responded.

“Who’s trying to kill you?” Victor frowned, adding helplessly,